Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-21
A LETTER CONCERN
ING THIS WONDER
Full COUNTRY.


CLAYTON, KAs., April Is, 1887.
Messrs. MARTIN Bros. & Co.
Colby, Kas.
GENTS:
Yours of recent date asking my "can.
did opinion" of the soil, climate, health.
fulness and future of Northwestern
Kansas, is to hand. 1 avail myself of
the earliest leisure moment to reply.
Your allusion to my long residence
on the frontier, and knowledge of the
development of the country from the
''great desert" to the present land OF
cultivated farms, thriving towns. rail
roads, schools, churches and all that
constitute a fourishing civilized COM
munity, recalls wildly to my mind the
condition ofthe region overweight years
ago, and when l see the great change
but one word-aWonderf can eX-
press the emotion.
Bat your intimation that my opinion
may have great weight in determining
your future operations in Real Estate
warns me to repress those bouyant
feelings, and the brilliant hopes and
expectations which this great change
naturally excite in one who has witness
ed the transition, and deal only in sober
facts, which the experience and observa-
ton of thousands besides myself can
attest. Therefore l will as briefly as
possible give sketch of my own eX-
perience and observations. Promising
that am not interested in any Town
Site or the owner of a single town lot
in Northwestern Kansas, my little
property, being land not nearer than
eight miles to any town, and is not
liable to he plated as an addition
At this point permit me to call your
and the attention ofany one coming to
Kansas from old eastern states to the
fact very important to the understand
ing and comprehension of the subject
under consideration, viz that all the
cities, railroads. farms, orchards and
other evidences of civilization west of
the Missouri River, in Kansas and Ne
braska, have been made since 1855, or
the short space of % years. Contrast
this with the history of diana, Illinois,
Iowa and Missouri, and You can faint
ly conceive the gigantic strides in the
past. The future, with its possibilities
is, fully believe, beyond the concep
ton OF sober minded man.
settled in Cass county, Nebraska, in
1859, at which time the few inhabitants
were settled 2. lyo b 80 }
iH,.sa tue most Intelligent, either doubt
ed orderied the possibility of the.up-
lands being of value for farm purposes.
while river bottom aud timbered claims
were selling for from $500 to 800 each,
tie uplands, now the most productive
and valuable lands i'll the county, were
open TO premption, (the Homestead
laws were not enacted until 1862 |
remember that in the ''farlnerS Club
the question: is Nebraska adapted to
the corn crop, was discussed and
then prominent farmer, and since,
distinguished Chief Justice of the
State, clearly demonstrated that for
climatic aud geologic reasons, it wasnot
adapted to corn; So thought near all
the members who listened to his able
and convincing address. Now we
know that Cass county uplands rival
the famous Mama and Ohio River bot
toms for corn.
''In 1871, l moved to the uplands near
the Blue river i'll Gage county, Nebr.
in regard to which tie same doubt and
uncertainty was entertained, said an
old farmer from Iowa, who was settled
on the river bottom" Il would rot give
six cents an acre for that upland
Then there was ten to fifteen miles
without a house on the upland. Now
we'll cultivated farms, substantial dwell
iugs and barns, groves of fruit and
forest trees adorn almost every quarter
section and luxuriant crops attest the
fruitfulness of the soil. Railroads,
thriving towns, school houses and
churches manifest the civilized and
prosperous condition of the people. In
1871 the land was open for settlement
under the Homestead and Presumption
laws. Now these lands are selling at
So to $40 per acre. sold in 1881 at
so per acre.
In 1881, upon advise Of physicians
to try change Of climate, came west
FOR the health of member of nv fami-
!y. On every hand, was met by the
Ito me) familiar complaints: ''This is
no farming country "TOo dry"
"Only fit for stock ranges" said intel
ligent men. 'fThree crops will exhaust
the upland" etc, etc.